(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)
New state-of-the-art Bay Ridge Center at 1500 Bay Ridge Avenue.
Local politicians including Congresswoman Malliotakis, Borough President Reynoso, and Congressman Brennan along with community leaders will participate in event
The new Bay Ridge Center is a shining example of bipartisanship at work. Both sides of the aisle got together and said, 'The older adults of Southwest Brooklyn deserve this' and made it happen.” - Todd W. Fliedner, Executive Director of Bay Ridge CenterNEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, October 31, 2023 /EINPresswire / -- Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Celebrating Bay Ridge Center 's New 21,000-Square-Foot Facility to be Held on November 1, 2023
Local politicians, community leaders and residents will participate in the ceremony for Bay Ridge Center's new state of the art facility.
Bay Ridge Center will hold the ribbon cutting for its new 21,000-square-foot facility on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at 10:00am. A host of city, state, and federal politicians, community leaders and supporters will celebrate the Center's move to its new, renovated building at 15 Bay Ridge Avenue. Since 1976, Bay Ridge Center (located in the basement of Bethlehem Lutheran Church) has supported the well-being, independence, and civic life of older adults in Southwest Brooklyn. The new facility will triple the organization's capacity to better serve the rapidly-growing older adult population in the Brooklyn communities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Fort Hamilton, and Sunset Park.
“Like so many communities across the city, Bay Ridge has seen a sizable growth in the number of older adults in their neighborhood. That's why I am pleased that Bay Ridge Center's new location will directly help local residents age-in-place,” said NYC Aging's Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez.“This new, state-of-the-art building not only has the capacity to serve nutritious food but provide older adults with the necessary supports, services, and opportunities to remain active in the community. We look forward to seeing older residents take advantage of everything Bay Ridge Center has to offer, to live with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
“NYC Aging has projected a significant increase in demand for older adult services in Southwest Brooklyn over the next 7 years-so this building could not come at a better time,” said Todd W. Fliedner, Executive Director of Bay Ridge Center.“The new building not only expands our capacity to serve the growing older adult population in this community, but also gives us the opportunity to provide some incredible new programs and services like art and movement therapy led by Pratt students, strength training on machines specifically designed for older adults, and a fully outfitted Technology Center where they can learn to use computers or advance their tech skills. Our new space is the model for innovative older adult centers in New York City and nationwide.”
Among the local politicians and leaders expected to attend the ribbon cutting and opening ceremony are; Mayor Eric Adams - -via recorded remarks, Fran Barrett - NYS Interagency Coordinator for Nonprofit Organizations at NYS Governor's Office, Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn Borough President; Jocelyn Groden, Associate Commissioner of Active Aging & Social Services and Adam Wysocki, Deputy Commissioner of Planning and Strategic Initiatives - NYC Aging; Nicole Malliotakis, Congresswoman - NY, District 11; Andrew Gounardes, State Senator - NY, District 26; Justin Brannan, Councilmember - NYC Council District 43; Rev. Paul H. Knudsen, Pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Bay Ridge; and John Abi-Habib, Chairman of the Building Campaign for Bay Ridge Center.
“Supporting the older adults in Bay Ridge is an honor,” said Abi-Habib.“They built this community, and the new Bay Ridge Center is our opportunity to thank them for all they have contributed. Older adults are essential members of our community, and the new Bay Ridge Center is a testament to how much we value them.”
To build the new Center, Fliedner launched a major fundraising campaign in 2022, appealing to the politicians and community leaders serving Southwest Brooklyn. Abi-Habib, a longtime supporter of Bay Ridge Center and the community, signed up immediately to chair the campaign. It quickly received support from Brooklyn politicians on both sides of the aisle. The original supporters include Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, former State Senator Marty Golden, current State Senator Andrew Gounardes, City Council Member Justin Brannan, and former Assembly Member Mathylde Frontus. The campaign ultimately raised over $4 million and secured a major grant facilitated by Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis. Malliotakis, who had been a supporter of the Center since she was on the state assembly, secured a $2 million grant from HUD for the Center.
“The new Bay Ridge Center is a shining example of bipartisanship at work. Everyone from both sides of the aisle got together and said, 'The older adults of Southwest Brooklyn deserve this' and they made it happen,” added Fliedner.
Bay Ridge Center's state-of-the-art facility will offer a wide range of innovative free services addressing older adults' biological, psychological, social, and cultural needs. At the new location, members will receive nutritionally balanced hot meals, work out using medical-grade gym equipment (the first of its kind in an older adult center in the US), make art, take music classes, receive social services, hear wellness lectures and more. The Center has also secured a number of inaugural sponsorships and collaborations, including with Pratt Institute's School of Art to collaborate on quality programming for creative aging, Maimonides Medical Center, which is sponsoring the Health & Wellness Center, and MSI Net, owned by John Abi-Habib, who in addition to his work on behalf of the Center, is a tech entrepreneur and is sponsoring the Technology Center.
The celebration will begin with the ribbon cutting ceremony and then will move inside for a program of speakers.
Following the program, community members are welcome to tour the new Bay Ridge Center on its inaugural day. The Center will officially open, offering all programming and services, on November 13, 2023.
Bay Ridge Center's mission is to provide services and programs for adults 60 and older in southwest Brooklyn that promote their well-being, support their independence, and encourage their involvement in community life. Since 1976, our staff has been aided by enthusiastic volunteers and works in cooperation with other community organizations, local businesses, schools, and social service organizations to fulfill its mission.
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